Stop & Shop Asks Shoppers to be Good Citizens in New Ad Campaign

The coronavirus pandemic has brought the best and, unfortunately, the worst in shopper behavior in grocery stores. Quincy, Mass.-based Stop & Shop debuts a new ad campaign, “Please,” which features some of the retailer’s customers alongside their families asking fellow shoppers to follow social distancing recommendations in-store to make shopping safer for everyone.

The campaign airs on both radio and TV in the company’s operating area of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Print and digital ads also are part of the campaign.

“While the impact of the pandemic has left none of our communities untouched, Stop & Shop’s extraordinary associates have stood firm in their commitment to keeping our stores open and accessible,” said Gordon Reid, president of Stop & Shop. “We are dedicated to our customers and appreciate them continuing to do everything they can do to help make shopping safer. We also appreciate the willingness of our shoppers to urge others to take steps to protect everyone’s health: shopping solo, respecting one-way aisles, wearing a mask while shopping and respecting social distancing guidelines.”

Like many other retailers, Stop & Shop has implemented several new safety measures in-store that include strict customer capacity limits; clear plastic barriers at all registers; added space between checkouts; masks and gloves for all associates; robust cleaning and sanitizing procedures; and disinfecting wipes near store entrances so customers can wipe down carts, hand baskets and ScanIt devices. Stop & Shop was the first major grocery chain to offer dedicated, early shopping hours for customers 60 and older and those who are immunocompromised. Stop & Shop is also providing thousands of meals each day for hospital workers in some of the areas hardest hit by the pandemic.

Stop & Shop also joined the United Food and Commercial Workers union in calling for grocery store workers to be deemed extended first responders or emergency personnel, which will provide front-line food retail employees with access to virus testing, emergency day care and support services for them and their families.